Slack-thread take-up for sewing-machines.



A. D. SMITH.

SLACK THREAD TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1909.

1,1 27,534. Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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ear Ar ALBERT 1). SMITH, F BELVIDERE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF BELVIDERE, ILLINOIS. A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SLACK-THREAD TAKE-UP FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Application filed December 7, 1909.

T0 all whom it may 0011 06m Be it known that I, ALBERT D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belvidere, in the county of Boone and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slack-Thread Take-Ups for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore, considerable difliculty has been experienced with devices of this char: acter in that the slack thread controlling spring arm has been exposed so that when the machine is being cleaned, the wipe cloth would always catch in the spring and pull the same out of shape. In order to overcome these difficulties and objections and to provide an improved guard or shield to protect the end of this arm is one of the objects of the present invention.

A further object is to provide improved means for automatically adjusting this auxiliary spring or arm to relieve the thread of its tension when the presser foot is raised.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this character which will be simple, durable and cheap in construction. and effective and efficient in operation. To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating an embodiment of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the lower part of the head of the sewing machine arm having an attachment applied thereto constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, with the face-plate removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the take-up arm or auxiliary spring. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, and in the present exemplification of the invention, the numeral designates the head of the arm of the sewing machine, and 11 is the face plate which is removably secured thereto in the ordinary and well known manner. Supported by the face plate 11 is a cap 12 which is provided with a recess 13 in one edge thereof. This cap 12 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 531,849.

engages and rests against the face plate 11,

so that the recess 13 will form a slot. The cap is held in position in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of a fastening screw or bolt 14 which passes into a portion of the cap through the face plate 11 and from the inside of the face plate. An elastic member designated generally by the reference numeral 15 in Fig. 1 is arranged or coiled within the cap 12. One extremity of this elastic member projects through the slot '13 to form an elastic arm 16 arranged at the free extremity of which is an open eye 17 through which the thread 18 passes. A thread guard constructed of a single piece of material is bent upon itself to form spaced members 19 which diverge from the point 20 of the guard, which point is formed by the bend of the material. The extremity of each of the members 19 is secured as at 21 to the face plate 11 and the end 20 of the guard is deflected outwardly as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. This guard is secured to the face plate in such a manner as to extend over the end of the elast c arm or member 16 so that the eye 17 will stand within the space formed between the members 19, so that the end of the arm will vibrate in the guard.

Supported by the presser foot bar 22 and arranged within the head 10 is a bracket 23, which projects laterally from the presser foot bar, and the free end of the bracket 23 engages a guide 24;. Projecting laterally from the bracket 23 is a pin or lug 25, which extends through a slot 26 in the face plate 11. The pin is of a length to extend under the elastic arm or member 16 and forms a support upon which the arm rests.

With this improved construction, and in threading the machine, the thread is brought downwardly from the tension device (not shown) and is passed under thread guard 19 by passing it under the end 20, and as the thread is raised, it will enter the open eye 17 at the extremity of the arm 16. The thread then passes over the take-up arm (not shown) and from the take-up arm passes downwardly and under a guide 27 and from which guide 27 the thread passes to the needle.

With this improved construction it will be apparent that the elastic arm 16 will take up the slack of the thread 18, and when the presser foot is raised by adjusting the presser foot cam lever 28 in the ordinary manner, the pin 25 on the arm 23 will raise the elastic arm or member 16 to relieve the thread 18 of the tension of the arm and thereby permit the thread to be readily drawn through the needle by the work as thelatter is drawn out from under the presser foot and without restraining the arm 16. It will also be apparent that the end of the elastic member or arm 18 and the eye 17 will be protected by the thread guard, so that when the machine is being cleaned, the wipe cloth will be prevented from coming in contact with the eye, and the extremity of the elastic arm by means of the thread guard, so that the arm and eye will be protected and prevented from being bent or injured by the cloth.

In order that the invention might be fully understood, the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus specifically described, but

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an elastic arm for engaging the thread and taking up the slack therein, said arm being provided with an eye at its free end, through which the thread passes, and a thread guard comprising spaced converging members between which the eye vibrates positioned over the said arm, and extending beyond the outer edge of the eye.

2. The combination of the face plate of a sewing machine head, an elastic arm disposed to vibrate adjacent said face plate and having an eyelet at its end for receiving the thread, and a guard comprising a bent wire, the ends of which are spaced apart and secured to said face plate and the remaining portion of which overhangs the eyelet end of said vibrating arm.

3. The combination of the face plate of a sewing machine head, a cap secured on said face plate, a spring member mounted in said cap and having one end extending from the latter forming an oscillatory elastic arm and terminating in a thread engaging eyelet, and a guard secured to the face plate at one side of the arm and disposed over the path of the eyelet.

4. The combination of the face plate of a sewing machine head, a cap secured on said face plate and having a recess in its side adjacent the face plate, a coil spring member mounted in said recess and havlng a portion Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

